Composite flooring

ABSTRACT

The composite flooring has multiple flooring elements. Each flooring element includes a plastic layer, an insulating layer and a covering layer. The insulating layer is eccentrically mounted on the plastic layer and is made of wood flour, wood chips, plywood, fibers or the like. The covering layer is mounted securely on the insulating layer and is made of timber to have a natural grain surface and mimic wood. Accordingly, the composite flooring is inexpensive and does not require precise alignment therefore facilitating installation. Besides, the plastic layer prevents water permeation, so that the flooring elements can be mounted directly on a floor during installation without implementation of a damp proof membrane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to flooring, and more particularly to acomposite flooring that is inexpensive to manufacture mimics woodflooring and is easy-installed.

2. Description of Related Art

Installing a lustrous, natural flooring is an important aspect ofinterior design and with many flooring choices available, the floor canbecome the centerpiece to design around.

Wooden, linoleum, carpeted and plastic flooring can be implemented fordifferent reasons and each has different advantages and disadvantages.

With reference to FIG. 7, wooden flooring comprises multiple slats (50)comprising a wooden layer (51) and a covering layer (52). The woodenlayer (51) can be made of pine, oak, bamboo, cork or the like, is formedin tessellating quadrangles and accordingly has four edges. Tongue andgroove is used to align and hold slats (50) together, wherein at leastone edge of the slat forms a tongue (511) while opposite at least oneedge defines a groove (512) corresponding to the rib (511) of anotherslat (50).

The covering layer (52) is mounted on the wooden layer (51) to preventwater from permeating and may be a varnish, plastic film, laminate,lacquer or the like and have a wood-grained surface for appealingappearance.

When installing on the floor, the wooden floorings are orderly placedadjacent to and engaging each other via engagement of the tongues (511)and the grooves (512). Such work requires expertise and may take a longtime to complete. Otherwise, wooden flooring is easily deformed due tohumidity and amplifies vibration so can be noisy. Therefore a damp proofmembrane and insulating material are laid between the wooden flooringand the floor complicating installation and causing inconvenience.Besides, since the wooden flooring is made of high valued timber, thewooden flooring is inevitably expensive.

To reduce costs of floor replacement, plastic flooring may be laid.Plastic flooring has an artificial decorating top surface and has afastening structure for interconnection. Plastic floorings can be laiddirectly on the floor when installing, without implementation of a dampproof membrane or insulating material, so has easier installation thanwooden flooring. However, the plastic flooring is hard and cannot matchperformance of the wooden flooring, such as elasticity, respiration,soft and warm feeling and the like.

Furthermore, said conventional wooden flooring and plastic flooringmostly interconnect using tongue and groove requiring precise alignmentand making installation difficult.

The present invention therefore provides a composite flooring to obviateor mitigate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a composite flooringthat is inexpensive to manufacture, mimics wooden flooring and iseasy-installed.

To achieve the objective, the composite flooring comprises multipleflooring elements. Each flooring element comprises a plastic layer, aninsulating layer and a covering layer.

The plastic layer is made of plastic and has a top surface.

The insulating layer is eccentrically mounted on the top surface of theplastic layer and is made of wood flour, wood chips, plywood, fibers orthe like and has a top surface.

The covering layer is mounted securely on the top surface of theinsulating layer and is made of timber to have a natural grain surfaceand mimic wood.

Furthermore, at least two edges of each flooring element respectivelyform alternatively an upper tongue and a lower tongue. The upper tongueand the lower tongue respectively correspond to and abut upon/under oneanother lower tongue/ upper tongue of adjacent flooring elements.

Accordingly, the composite flooring in accordance with the presentinvention is inexpensive and does not require precise alignmenttherefore facilitating installation.

Besides, the plastic layer prevents water permeation so that theflooring elements can directly put on the floor during installationwithout implementation of a damp proof membrane. Otherwise, the flooringelements interconnect via abutting of the lower tongue and the uppertongue that does not require precise alignment, thus makes installationeasier and provides convenience for installation

Furthermore, the covering layer provides performance of elasticity,respiration, soft and warm.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a composite flooring in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the composite flooring in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional side view of the composite flooring in FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional side view of another embodiment of acomposite flooring in accordance with present invention.

FIG. 5 is an operational cross sectional side view of the compositeflooring in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an operational top view of the composite flooring in FIG. 1;and

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional side view of a wood flooring in accordancewith prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, a composite flooring in accordance withpresent invention comprises multiple flooring elements (10). Eachflooring element (10) comprises a plastic layer (11), an insulatinglayer (12) and a covering layer (13).

With further reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the plastic layer (11) has atop surface, four edges and a bottom surface. The bottom surface maycomprise multiple knobs (111) formed thereon to improve flexibility andcontacts with a floor by generating friction.

The insulating layer (12) is eccentrically mounted on the top surface ofthe plastic layer (11) using adhesive (40) and is made of wood flour,wood chips, plywood, fibers or the like and has a top surface and fouredges. With further reference to FIG. 2, at least one edge of theinsulating layer (12) protrudes from above a corresponding edge of theplastic layer (11) to define at least one upper tongue (20), meanwhileat least one edge of the plastic layer (11) protrudes from below acorresponding edge of the insulating layer (12) to define at least onelower tongue (30).

The covering layer (13) is mounted securely on the top surface of theinsulating layer (12) and is made of timber so has a natural grainsurface and feels like wood and may be further treated by varnish,lacquer or plastic film.

With further reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, when installing the compositeflooring in accordance with present invention, adhesive (40) is firstapplied to the floor to directly adhere the bottom surface of theplastic layer (11) to the floor. Accordingly, the upper tongue (20)corresponds to and abuts the lower tongue (30) of adjacent flooringelements (10) and the lower tongue (30) abuts adjacent flooring elements(10) and the floor. Adhesive (40) may be applied between the uppertongue (20) and the lower tongue (30) for enhanced bonding.

Accordingly, since each flooring element (10) is partially made oftimber, the composite flooring in accordance with the present inventionis inexpensive.

Besides, the plastic layer (11) prevents water permeation so that theflooring elements (10) can be put directly on the floor when installing,without implementation of a damp-proof membrane. Otherwise, the flooringelements (10) interconnect via abutting of the lower tongue (30) and theupper tongue (20) that does not require precise alignment makesinstallation easier and provides convenience for installation

Furthermore, the covering layer (13) provides elasticity, respirationand soft and warm feeling as people may have with natural woodenflooring.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the presentinvention have been set forth in the foregoing description together withdetails of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosureis illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail especially inmatters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principlesof the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad generalmeaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

1. A composite flooring comprising multiple flooring elements, eachflooring element comprising a plastic layer having a top surface; fouredges; and a bottom surface; an insulating layer being eccentricallymounted on the top surface of the plastic layer and having a top surfaceand four edges, wherein at least one edge of the insulating layerprotrudes from above a corresponding edge of the plastic layer to defineat least one upper tongue; and at least one edge of the plastic layerprotrudes from below a corresponding edge of the insulating layer todefine at least one lower tongue; a covering layer being mountedsecurely on the top surface of the insulating layer and being made oftimber.
 2. The composite flooring as claimed in claim 1, wherein theinsulating layer is made of wood flour.
 3. The composite flooring asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is made of wood chips.4. The composite flooring as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulatinglayer is made of plywood.
 5. The composite flooring as claimed in claim1, wherein the insulating layer is made of fibers.
 6. The compositeflooring as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of theplastic layer further defines multiple knobs.
 7. The composite flooringas claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is mounted on thetop surface of the plastic layer using adhesive.
 8. The compositeflooring as claimed in claim 6, wherein the insulating layer is mountedon the top surface of the plastic layer using adhesive.